Recently, there has been talk of changing Brandeis’ language requirement from achieving “a certain degree of proficiency in the use of one foreign language,” a requirement that can be filled by passing a 30-level language course or higher, to completing two semesters of a language. Bilingual students, who formerly were able to test out of the language requirement, would now also be required to take two semesters of a foreign language. Two semesters are not enough to reach the intermediate level in any language, meaning many students would leave Brandeis without an intermediate level in any second language. This would make them less competitive in the job market and deprive them of the many benefits of language learning, as later elaborated on in this article. 

This is far from the first time Brandeis has tried to reduce its language programs. For a couple of semesters now, the University has been covertly attempting to decrease their language programs by firing professors and not hiring replacements. Two semesters ago, Brandeis attempted to fire lecturer Valeriya Kozlovskaya, stripping down the popular Russian language department to just one Russian speaking professor. This change would mean Russian classes would be far fewer and spaced further apart, meaning students would have a less linear track in learning the language, impeding their ability to gain proficiency. In the same semester, they also attempted to fire beloved Yiddish professor Ellen Kellman. These attempts by the University were unsuccessful as students rallied around their professors and circulated petitions demanding Brandeis not get rid of these programs. Although these professors were not ultimately dismissed, Brandeis has discontinued its beginner Yiddish courses, signifying their plans to imminently cut the program. In the German language program, Brandeis has recently combined the intermediate and advanced level courses into one — a change that is harmful for language learners who require having a common language level with classmates.

It is clear that Brandeis is targeting less widely spoken languages and minority languages and throwing them under the bus, but it seems as though this is just the start. 

Now, after semesters of covert rollbacks, Brandeis is attempting to officialize this by seriously cutting back on its language requirements. This will only aid in the rapid dismantlement of language programs. 

In light of these reforms, it is important to remember why language learning is so valuable, particularly to students. Dozens of studies have shown that language learners show better academic performance across a range of academic subjects, have improved concentration, better memory, greater creativity and stronger communication skills on top of delayed onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Language learning builds intercultural competencies and connections — abilities that have become more and more valuable in a country intent on dividing people based on the language they speak or the country they come from. The level of empathy and determination required of language learners is something that they will carry on with them for the remainder of their adult lives, whether or not they gain fluency. For many students, it becomes a way to reconnect with their heritage. One of the writers of this article met many individuals in their Russian language classes whose parents and grandparents were forced to flee the Soviet Union due to war, religious discrimination, political unrest or lack of opportunity and who, consequently, never learned Russian. Such students hope to preserve cultural belonging that was taken from them through language learning and to connect with other students with shared experiences. 

At Brandeis, we have a plethora of culture clubs that work in close collaboration with the language programs, with language classes often acting as a recruitment system for the clubs. Students already learning a foreign language can experience the culture and meet members of said culture through attending club events and meetings and joining a community of students with shared interests, aiding in developing language skills through more casual practice and expanding one’s network. Two semesters of language learning rather than three could mean that students will be less involved in culture clubs, as they may be insecure about their fluency or feel that they have not yet put roots down in their program. Many students go through their three semesters with the same peers in smaller classroom settings, fostering a sense of trust that is vital for anyone hoping to learn a language and retaining friendships through school breaks that strengthen bonds between language learners. 

On top of interpersonal connections built through language learning, many masters and Ph.D. programs in the humanities and social sciences require students to speak multiple languages. With a requirement of three semesters of language learning, students will be able to get ahead on their prerequisites for post-graduate studies. Often, students decide to attend graduate school in their junior or senior year and don’t know about language requirements until later in their college careers, leaving limited time for language learning to proficiency — which requires three semesters. With the current three-semester requirement, many students decide to start in their first or second year as they know they won’t be able to put it off and complete it in their senior year. So, by the time they decide to apply to graduate schools, language requirements won’t pose a barrier to them or be an additional burden they must focus on while writing their theses. Removing the language requirement would make Brandeis students far less competitive candidates for graduate programs — a disadvantage we can’t afford among our drastic 35 point drop in the U.S. News and World Report in the past six years. 

Brandeis University differentiates itself from many other small liberal arts universities with its linguistics program and robust language learning departments. Brandeis is one of less than 20 American universities that has Yiddish professors and one of even fewer with an undergraduate minor in the language. Many students apply to Brandeis specifically for this; one of our writers applied to Brandeis specifically for its rare Yiddish and linguistics programs. Many students who came to Brandeis for its language programs are finding that those programs are being actively dismantled, and their education cheapened in the process.

In these reforms, we see how a holistic liberal arts education is being traded in for resume points like microcredentials. Downgrading this way for students to learn about different cultures comes at a poor time, when hypernationalism and anti-intellectualism is on the rise. Simply put, Brandeisians would suffer a great deal socially, intellectually and even fiscally from the proposed changes and cuts to the language programs — something we simply cannot afford.